Hand washing knowledge among primary school children in Belagavi Karnataka, India; Community-based Descriptive study.

Background: Hand wash has been widely accepted worldwide as a cost-effective intervention to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases. However, despite proven efficacy, the practice of hand washing has been found to be poor in developed countries. Since children are vulnerable to communicable diseases, a million lives could be saved annually by simple hand-washing practices in the community. The study was conducted to evaluate the awareness of hand washing and related factors among primary school children in Devagiri, Belagavi. Method: A Descriptive survey was carried out among 60 children. Data were collected using questionnaires regarding socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge of hand washing. Result: 60 students participated in the study that comprised 58.33% girls and 41.33% boys. About 40(66.66%) of the children had inadequate knowledge regarding hand washing whereas around 15(25%) of children had moderate knowledge and minimal 05(8.33%) of children had adequate knowledge. Conclusion: Effective hand-washing education in schools is required to enhance hand-washing skills and hand-washing facilities in schools have been found to be insufficient. For this purpose, hand-washing facilities and latrines, which include sufficient quantities of soap and water, are essential for the promotion of hygiene.